Youth Loads
 

Due to recent changes in the minimum hunting age in Wisconsin, my daughter will be able to hunt.... next year. I'd like to take her to the range this year just to let her get accustom to the gun. What do you recommend as a good hunting load out to 75 yds? I will most likely limit her to 50 yds. She'll be shooting a .50 cal with JSG and the following options: XTP 200 gr, XTP 240 gr or 250 gr Shockwave.
She's about 5' tall, 110 lbs. I obviously don't want her to be discouraged by the kick of the gun but want her to cleanly harvest a deer. What'cha think? Thanks for the help.

She is the same Height and weight as my first wife. She did very well with 90 gr and the 200gr Shock Wave. She liked the 200gr XTP to but never got it to shoot as well. Lee

All I can relate to is how tuff kids really are. When we used to groups shoot with locals and their families, they'd haul their kids with them. We'd load 70 grains of powder and round balls and them kids would shoot pounds of powder off it we'd of let them.

My buddy's kid was maybe 80 pounds soaking wet, and he was so little we had to let him rest the rifle on the porch rail of the cabin because he could not hold it up. But he'd shoot every time he got a chance.

I would stick around 80 grains and a 200 grain bullet. I shoot that in my Wolverines and recoil is next to nothing. And it is a very accurate load. That should do in a deer.

Thanks guys. What sabot do you recommend? I have some Harvester Crushed Rib but they are much longer than the 200 gr bullet.

The MMP HPH Blue 50/40 The other choice if this one is to tight is the Harvester Blue crush rib 50/40. Be careful as there is a Blue 45/40 made for 45cal barrels to shoot a 40 caliber bullet, order the right one for your barrel. Lee
http://www.mmpsabots.com/

Thank you.

I'd also recommend the 200 XTP- it performs very well at lower velocities. One of the other members has taken a couple deer & javelina with the 200 XTP and I believe 65 grains of powder. You probably can start with 60 - 70 grains of powder, let your daughter shoot it first. If she's comfortable with it, you could bump it up to 80 grains, or just leave it at 70 if that's what she's okay with.

My friend's daughter has also taken several deer with a 240 grain XTP and 70 grains of powder. For 50 yards & under, 70 grains should be plenty.

I have heard of loads as low as 40 gr of t7 3f being used on deer out to 100 yards with no trouble, but I think for me I would look at 60 gr of t7 2f being the lowest I would go with a 240 or 250 gr xtp. Hornadys muzzleloading chart shows 70 gr of t7 2f giving about 1600fps with a 240-250 gr bullet. That would give you around 850-950 fpe at 100 yards, plenty to take a whitetail.

the hunting laws here have a mentored hunt for those ages 10-16 ,so 2 of my kids are old enough to hunt. They are 12 yog and 11 yob.
I set them up with open sights on a 45 cal. at 50 yards. they are shooting 70 gr 777, fed primer, 40 cal. 200 gr SST bullet with tan sabot. There is very little recoil. and they don't have a problem at all with that load. I believe it will effectively kill a deer far beyond what they will be shooting.

Thanks a lot for the info. She'll be nine next month but the local range won't let her shoot until she's ten. I guess I have to go alone.